How should I phrase a question about Planned Parenthood, and its founder Margaret Sanger?

Question

Margaret Sanger was the founder of Planned Parenthood. Her views on eugenics, race, and the poor have made her the target of attacks from Pro-Life supporters.

What I want to know, is: Are the number of abortions performed at Planned Parenthood disproportionate to the population by race? (income is pretty much a given)

• Should I include links to the claims by Pro-Life supporters that make the claim?

• Should I include links to Margaret Sanger's writings? (These include quotes that debunk some interpretations of her writings that Pro-Lifers use to claim her racism, but also include her thoughts on eugenics, the poor, and the unfit)

Does Margaret Sanger's writings have any bearing on the question, or should I leave it to the answerers to decide if her writings can clarify her motives for creating Planned Parenthood? (and the current results)

Answer 1

I was trying to think of an example and came up with this. The example is exaggerated for effect.

You could ask this question:

Was the war in Iraq succesful?

A tough question to answer, but a valid question.

But you could also ask it like this:

Many say GW Bush was an idiot and lied to go to war and ended up killing many American soldiers. Was the war in Iraq succesful?

It's the same question, but based on a very specific (and most would agree, biased) premise.

Alternatively, one could ask it like this:

Many say GW Bush was brilliant and was justified to go to war and ended up saving countless Iraqi citizens from a terrible regime. Was the war in Iraq succesful?

Again, same question. But now completely biased in the other direction.

So ask yourself what you are truly asking. If it's just the question, then skip setting up the premise (unless you are interested in exploring all sides, which can be tough). If, on the other hand, you truly believe in the premise, then consider changing the question to ask about the premise itself.

Answer 2

It looks to me as though you're more interested in proving something than actually asking a question in this case.

The question title you have: Are the number of abortions performed at Planned Parenthood disproportionate to the population by race? practically stands alone. You really don't need to include any extra information.

Burt it looks like you're planning on including this narrative including some of Margret Sanger's views, and suggesting that she created Planned Parenthood for eugenics purposes.

When you do that, it stops being an actual question. You're writing a persuasive article. This might be encouraged as the OP for a political discussion forum, but Stack Exchange is Q&A, not discussion.

Answer 3

You actually have TWO questions here, so I'd break them up.

One is "Are the number of abortions performed at Planned Parenthood disproportionate to the population by race?" I'd leave Margaret Sanger out of this, because she is a "side issue." And she is so "controversial," it just muddies the discusson.

The second question is "What did Margaret Sanger's life and work contribute to the modern abortion/planned parenthood debate?" Here, Margaret Sanger is CENTRAL to your question, so you need to put her in, even if she is "controversial."

If I wanted to refer to Margaret Sanger in the first question, I'd ask the second question first, then paste a link to it in the first question. Then let people decide whether they want to read about Margaret Sanger in connection with birth control/abortion, or just the topic itself.

Answer 4

I'm going to strongly recommend that you don't ask this question. "Are the number of abortions performed at Planned Parenthood disproportionate to the population by race?" Is problematic statics. First you have to think about the racial proportions with respect to those that show up at Planned Parenthood, not to the population in general. If only Caucasians showed up at PP, and many of them were given abortions, that wouldn't mean PP was committing genocide against whites.

Second, a quick reading of the Wikipedia article will show that Margaret Sanger was focussed on contraception, not abortion (she died before Roe v Wade). Planned Parenthood shifted to focus on abortion only after her death. Therefore bringing her views into the equation will only muddy the waters.